Infections received under the care of others, particularly in locations where harmful bacteria are present and other high infection risk areas is a ubiquitous problem that leads to longer hospital stays, increased patient care cost and sometimes death. At any point of time around the world, current data indicates that approximately 1.4 million people are suffering the consequences of hospital-acquired infections (HAI). Each year, thousands of people die from HAI. In the United States alone, the number of deaths per year is approximately 99,000 (10 deaths per hour). Infections that occur in Intensive Care Units (ICU) affect more than 20% of patients, accounts for 44% of patient deaths and extend ICU stays an average of 8 days.
These numbers are staggering considering that preventative measures have been incorporated into healthcare and other products to reduce the risk of infection for some time now through antimicrobial substances and other means. Clearly these solutions are ineffective or minimally effective at best. While some solutions are available, they are impractical to implement or incompatible with the devices or the manufacturing process. Getting antimicrobial substances efficiently and though mass production into the many products come in contact with bacteria and eventually come in contact with people to date has not been possible.
One common protective measure that falls in this category is elastomeric gloves. The transmission of bacteria commonly occurs via body to body contact and most commonly from the hands of healthcare workers to a patient. The center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends glove-use guidelines and hand hygiene actions to mitigate infection, but the effectiveness due to compliance among heath care workers inter alia is insufficient and difficult to monitor and control.
In particular to gloves, some studies show that requiring glove use actually decreases hand washing compliance and hygiene, which results in the glove being a source for cross-contamination. In a study done at Yale University, researchers found a correlation of contaminated gloves with the transmission of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus in an intensive care unit. Yet another study, done at Northwestern University indicates that 75% of gloves in an opened box in patient rooms were contaminated.
Previous studies demonstrate that glove contamination can come from the direct contact with patients and the environment. Existing studies show 73% of the rooms of the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infected patients had MRSA contamination on environmental surfaces; 65% of nurses tending the patients' wounds or urine bags contaminated their uniforms or gowns with MRSA; 42% of personnel who had no direct contact with these patients but had touched contaminated surfaces, contaminated their gloves with MRSA. Further, it is also possible that contamination can occur during manufacturing and handling before gloves are actually used by a healthcare worker.
Currently healthcare gloves and other contaminable equipment are not sterilized or treated with antimicrobials in a process that effectively produces antimicrobial results. Some have tried to incorporate antimicrobial effects into gloves and the like. In one solution, a combination of antimicrobial substances and other agents such as dyes are impregnated or sprayed onto device surfaces to enhance the antimicrobial effect. However these solutions use high concentrations of antimicrobial chemicals and are not compatible with high speed, high volume manufacturing requirements. This type of solution will waste significant amounts of the antimicrobials as the glove is worn for a short period of time. Further, organic solvents were used in the coating/impregnation solution and long drying times are required. In some cases more than 4 hours of drying time. Still further, the remaining antimicrobial in the used glove can create environment issues. As such, to achieve the desired and effective kill rate, higher concentrations of the antimicrobial and or dye are necessary, adding not only cost to the process but environmental concerns as well.
Traditionally, when manufacturing elastomeric articles, a coagulant is mixed with a powder such as calcium carbonate was used to allow the article to be easily removed from the mold. However, the calcium carbonate must be removed from the glove, generally by additional washing and drying steps, adding time and expense to the process.
Recently powder free coagulants have been developed by many glove manufacturers. These powder free coagulants greatly reduce manufacturing costs by eliminating the need to wash and dry gloves after they are manufactured. However, these are very precise mixtures and even small variations in the coagulant makeup have detrimental effects on the product outcome resulting in glove thickness variations and wasted material.
Accordingly, a need exists for protective articles and a process for making the same that can prevent or inhibit the growth of microorganisms in or on the articles from the point of manufacture.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.